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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Default Leigh D1600 - Initial impression

    At the Sydney Woodworking Show I invested in a D1600 dovetail Jig. It was delivered from Mik yesterday and assembled tonight. Here is my current impression.

    The item comes in several main parts and quite a few plastic bags of fittings. The manual is very similar to the D4 one, and I believe is the best manual to come with any jig. Most others should not be called manuals.

    Assembly is straight forward and can be done in about 30 minutes.

    The first thing I noticed is how light it is compared to its big brother, the D4. The body is one piece of aluminium - very rigid, with the tail and pin end stops manufactured into the body. On the D4 these have to be set up with screw adjustments.

    The guidefinger assembly is not as rigid as that provided with the D4. However, given that it is supposed to be supported by a piece of "scrap" board (same for D4), then this is not an issue. The fingers themselves are not quite as wide as those on the D4. The opening for the router guide is the same, just the overall width is narrower. This means more care has to be taken when moving between fingers if bridge material is not used in certain configurations.

    My biggest disappointment is the provision of imperial measurements only on the finger assembly scale. I am imperial and metric literate, but 1mm increments offers, in my opinion, greater accuracy over 1/16".

    Using a test board I had set up for blind dovetails created on the D4, I adjusted the fingers to cut new tails to go into the pins made on the D4. The Triton drill, fitted with a Triton guide, still had the 1/2" cutter fitted from use on the D4. First cut on the D1600 had the tails match the D4 pins spot on. The point here is, the accuracy of the D1600 appears to match that of the D4.

    At this point in time I am happy with my new purchase. I don't believe I am going to miss the 8" difference in size. Now I can return the borrowed D4 .
    Bob

    "If a man is after money, he's money mad; if he keeps it, he's a capitalist; if he spends it, he's a playboy; if he doesn't get it, he's a never-do-well; if he doesn't try to get it, he lacks ambition. If he gets it without working for it; he's a parasite; and if he accumulates it after a life time of hard work, people call him a fool who never got anything out of life."
    - Vic Oliver

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Melbourne
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    225

    Default

    How much did you pay?
    Thanks Kev.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Default

    Paid $499. This is the price advertised in AWR. It was implied that this price would increase. Not bad value considering the D4 is now over $800. This is one item that appears to be priced attractively. The US price is USD299, about AUD395. If one assumes that freight will be at least another $50, then there is only a price differential of about $50.
    Bob

    "If a man is after money, he's money mad; if he keeps it, he's a capitalist; if he spends it, he's a playboy; if he doesn't get it, he's a never-do-well; if he doesn't try to get it, he lacks ambition. If he gets it without working for it; he's a parasite; and if he accumulates it after a life time of hard work, people call him a fool who never got anything out of life."
    - Vic Oliver

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    5,014

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobR
    If one assumes that freight will be at least another $50, then there is only a price differential of about $50.
    If you add GST the difference is probably only $10.

    I'm assuming that Leigh jigs are made in the US and therefore covered by the FTA?

  6. #5
    Join Date
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    Default

    I'm assuming that Leigh jigs are made in the US and therefore covered by the FTA?
    Made in Canada.
    Bob

    "If a man is after money, he's money mad; if he keeps it, he's a capitalist; if he spends it, he's a playboy; if he doesn't get it, he's a never-do-well; if he doesn't try to get it, he lacks ambition. If he gets it without working for it; he's a parasite; and if he accumulates it after a life time of hard work, people call him a fool who never got anything out of life."
    - Vic Oliver

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
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    Default

    Ah, well you'd have to add duty as well then.

    Probably cost you more than to buy it form MIK

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Laurieton
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    Default

    Probably cost you more than to buy it form MIK
    Which is why I did not go off shore this time. If local suppliers come up with a reasonable price; doesn't have to be the same or less; just reasonable, then there is an incentive to purchase locally. But when the difference is in the order of $100+, then one has to think hard - not too hard though.
    Bob

    "If a man is after money, he's money mad; if he keeps it, he's a capitalist; if he spends it, he's a playboy; if he doesn't get it, he's a never-do-well; if he doesn't try to get it, he lacks ambition. If he gets it without working for it; he's a parasite; and if he accumulates it after a life time of hard work, people call him a fool who never got anything out of life."
    - Vic Oliver

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